Improvement in apparatus for lighting and extinguishing gas by electricity



3 SheetsSi1eet l. P. BEAN. APPARATUS FOR LIGHTING AND EXTINGUISHING GAS BY ELECTRICITY- A No. 108,434. g Patented Oct. 18., 1870.

A r ,0 x

I a o J .U

3 Sheets-Si1eet F. BEAN. APPARATUS FOR LIGHTING AND EXTINGUISHING GAS BY ELECTRICITY.

Patented Oct. 18, 1870.

as m. wow-um F. BEAN. APPARATUS FOR LIGHTING AND EXTINGUISHING GAS BY ELEGTRIGITY No. 108,434. Patented Oct. 18, 1870.

"dlnitttl finite;

ateni (titties.

FRANK BEAN, OF SOMERVILLE, ASSIGNOR TO EDWIN E. BEAN, OF BOS- TON, MASSACHUSETTS.

Letters Patent No. 108,434, dated October 18, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT lN APPARATUS FOR LlGHTlNG AND EXTINGUISHING GAS BY ELECTRICITY.

The Schedule referred to in these Letter: Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRAXK BEAN, of Somcrville, in the/county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a Pneumatic Apparatus for Light'- ing and Extinguishing Gas by Electricity, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is aperspective view, illustrating my invent-ion.

Figure 2'is a rear elevation of the same, the gasbu-rner being removed and the position of some of the parts being changed.

Figure 75 is a longitudinal vertical section on the line a: :v of fig. 2.

Figure 4 is :Wvertical section on the line 3 1 of fig. 2.

Figure 5 is a'tral'isvcrse section on the line 5 s of fig.

Figure 6 is a modification, to be referred to.

To providea means for immediately lighting and extinguishinggas-lamps, without the usual labor and expense attending the ordinary method of lighting and extinguishing each one by'hand, is the object of my invention, which consists in operating the valves which control the admission of gas to the burners of a series of gas-pipes by pneumaticpower, in combination with mechanism, also operated by pneumatic power, for making and breaking the electric circuit, to produce the sparks for igniting thc'gas in the series of burners, the exhaustion of the air serving to close the valves in the burners, and, by cutting oli their supply of gas, causing the lights to be extinguished as desired.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand and use, my invention, I will proceed to describe the manner in which I have oarriedit out.

In the said drawing- A is one of a series of gas-burners, screwed to the top of a short pipe, B, the lower end of which passes into a circular box' or casing, G, secured to the top of a vertical gas-pipe, connected with the main supplypipe, not shown.

This circular box is formed in two portions, 0 I),

screwed together at c, and iucloses a chamber, ex-' tcpded across which is a flexible diaphragm, d, dividing itinto two compartments, 0 f, with the former, c, of which the pipe supplying the gas counnunicatcs, through a passage, 8, while a vertical pipe, 15, leading iiom a pipe, 1!, (connected with an air-pump not shown,) communicates with the compartment f through a passage, 9.

To the center of the diaphragm d issecured the bottom of a rod, {1, which passes up through the centor of the pipe B, and carries at its upper enda valve, 71, which is raised from and lowered upon its seat at the top of the pipe B, to open and close the passage to the burner A.

Passingthrough the side of the casing, and into the interior of the compartment f, is a rocker-shaft, G, on the inner end of which is a crank or arm, z, to which .is connected the slotted end of the rod g, which is secured to the diaphragm, and projects slightly below its lower surface for this purpose, and as the valve-rod g is raised or lowered by the movement of the diaphragm, the shaft G is rocked, and its motion communicated to mechanism now to be described.

The end of the rocker-shaft (jkontside the casing is provided with a slotted arm or crank, H, which moves a crank,k-, on the outer end of another short rocketshaft, I, which has its hearings in the foot-of an upright frame or support, K, through the upper end of which passes the pipe B.

From one side of the rocker-shaft I projects an arm, I, to the outer end of which is pivoted the lower end of a, connecting-rod, .L, the upper end of which is connected witha stud, m, extending out from a plate, M,

which is provided with slots, 01,, through which screwpins 0 pass into the frame or support K, to guide it when moved up anddown thereon.

Pirated to one side of the top of the slotted "plate M, and "rising therefrom, is a vertical bar, N, in bearings, in the top of which is placed a toothed or ratchet-wheel, 0', which engages (on one side) with a rack, 1), on the upper end of a vertical post, 0, the lower end of which is'sccured to the frame or'support K, and is pressed constantly by a spring, q, against the ratchet-wheel 0', so as to insure its meshing with the rack p, and being constantly kept in contact with the pointed end 7 of the metallic bar I, which is secured, at its lower end, to the top of the slot-ted plate M, on the side opposite to that where the bar N is secured.

Q is a strip of ivory or other substance which is a non-conductor of electricity, and incloses the opposite sides of the lower end of the metailic bar P, being snugly secured in contact therewith by rivets or otherwise.

The lower portion of this ivory strip is of greater width, and projects out so as to form a shoulder, s, from which point to a point, t, (a short distance below,) the edge of the bar I is covered by the ivory strip.

a, at a point just above the top of the ivory strip, which construction is for a purpose now to be ex- 'plained.

-l.o one of the poles of a battery is connected the "lower end of a wire, 1:, which passes through .a. non- The metallic bar 1 is also provided with a notch,

conductive or insulating substance,'10, set into the edge of the circular casing O, and leads upward, and is secured to the lower end of a flat spring, 1%, attached to an insulating bloc-k, S, the upper end of the spring It being provided-With a projection, to, which (when the bar 1- is up to the extent of its traverse) is pressed by the force of the s 'n'ing, against the portion .9 t of the ivory strip, which covers the edge of the metallic bar 1, thus preventing the electric current from passing up to the point 1' oi" the bar P, in contact with the ratchet-wheel o, and thus preventing the production of the sparks which light the gas issuing from the burner.

The other 'pole oi the battery is connected with the toothed wheel 0' by any suitable conductor.

"When, however, this bar descends, the projcotiorrw comes in contact with the exposed edge of the bar 1, from a to n, and the current is not interrupted in its passage to the point rin eontactwith the ratchet-wheel o, and as the'whcel moves down on the rack p, and the teeth revolve under and temporarily pass thorn contact with the point r of the bar I, the sparks are produced which, on account of their proximity to the tip of the burner, ignite the gas issuing thcrcli-om.

Just. previous, however, to the completion of the descent of the bar 1, the notch it reaches the projection a", when the contact between the latter and the bar 1 is broken, and the force of the current will then he conccntrated on the ncxtlnn'nerotthc series, as req iredv It; will be seen that the descent of the bars N and 1 serves to carry the wheel 0 and point 1' down below thc'tiame issuing from the burner, and they are thus prcventcdtrom being injured ordcstroycd thereby.

The methods heretofore employed for igniting gas by electricity have been either to employ an intense or-induced current of electricity, which produced a series of sparks by leaping over a break or intcrrnp tion in the conductor at the tip of the burner, or to pass a. current of electricity through a small platinum wire (placed ovcrthe tip of the burner) until it bccame heated sulliciently to ignite the gas.

The first of these methods requires the conductor to be heavily coated, in order to secure the necessary insulation to prevent the escapcof the electricity, while, when the platinum wire is employed, it is diiiicult to regulate the force ofthe current, as an excess of electricity will melt; the wire, while an insuiticicnt current will not heat the wire enough to ignite the gas. An ordinary current'otelectricity will, however, produce a spark where the circnitis brokin; and by the employment ota device for making and breaking the circuit in close proximity to the tip of the burner, as above described, I am enabled to employ an ordinary or comparatively feeble current of electricity for igniting the gas, instead of the induced current here tol'orc required to leap over the permanent break in the conductor at the tip of the burner, and a less perfectly insulated conductor may, consequently, be cmploycd than heretofore. I ".llre air-pipe 1 is provided with a. series of pairs of valv'c's, equal in number to the number oi gas-lights used; and at each point where a vertical pipe, E, connects with the air-pipe is formed a partition or plug, '1, provided with two circular passages, 11.12, se ii". 4, which are opened and closed by two valves, 1.; 14, the rods 22 of which pass centrally through the passages in oppositedirect-ions, and through cleats 1 5 16, bridged over the ends of the passages opposite to those closed by the valves.

The outer ends oi't-ho valve-rods are provided with enlargements 17 18, and between these enlargements and the cleats 15 16, the alvc-rods are surrounded by spiral springs 19 20, which serve to insure the valves being brought in contact with their seats until the force of the air pumped into the air-pipe 1*, and that caused by the exhaustion of air therefrom, is

suflioient. to overcome the tension of the springs 19 20, when the valvesare removed from their seats and open the passages 11 12.

llic strength of the spring 19 is jiist sutficient to kecp the valve on its seat when air is not forced into the pipe to operate the valves of the burners and mechanisn'r i'or lighting the same; but when the air is pumped in, and the valve of the burner and mechanism connected therewith has been operated, the pressure against the inner end of the valve 13 carries it, against the resistance of the spring 20, in the direction of the arrow -2l, and pushes the valve 13 oii" from its scat, thus opening the passage 11, and allowing the air to be forced-through the pcrtionotthe pipebcyond to open the valve 7:, which controls the admission of gas to the next burner, and simultaneously therewith bringing the wheel a of the next burner down, so that, when revolving, its teeth will temporarily he brought out of contact with the point -r of the metallic bar 1, so as to produce a'serics of sparks, (in a manner heretofore dcscriberh) which ignitc the gas flowing up the burner.

When it is desired to extinguish the series of gasliglits, it is simply necessary to exhaust air from the tirst section of the pipe F, when the valve it, through the connections already described, will be closed, shutting otl'thc supply ot' gas to the burner, and the current of electricity will be interrupted in its passage to the toothed wheel 0',- and almost simultaneously with the shutting otif ol' the gas from one burner, the resistance ot the spring It) will be overcome, and the valve 14 will opencommunication with the passage 12 and portion ofthe pipe beyond, and the exhaustion ofthe air thercti'om wid cause all of the burners to be extinguished as required.

The object of operating separately the valves con-- trolling the admission of gas to the burners, is so that the electric current may be concentrated on one burncr at a. time, as, should it be acting simultaneously upon all of the burners ottho series, it wouldrequirc ascparate conductor for each burner.

tine valve may be arranged, as seen in fig. 6, so as to accomplish the same. resultproduced by the employment of the valves 13 14. In this case an air pipe, A, communicates with the lower compartment for the casing (1", and another pipe lF, leads therefrom to the lower compartment f of the next apparains, and so on throughout the series.

()n the top of the pipe B rests a. valve, 25, which fits into a suitable recess, and is connected by a short chain, 26, with the diaphragm (I. On the air being forced into the compartment j; through the pipe A*, the diaphragm is raised, and with it the valve h, the length of the chain 26 being such that the valve 25 will not be raised until the valve 7t and mechanism connected therewith have been operated, and the air is thus caused to actupon the mechanism otonc apparatus andthen pass on to the next one in the series, in the same manner as when two valves are employed.

When the gas is to be extinguished the air is exhausted from the compartment f through the pipe A when the diaphragm (l, and with it the valve Ii. are drawn down, shutting oil the supply of gas, after which the partial vacuum in the compartment f causes the valve 2510 be raised off its "seat, opening connmmicatiou with the pipe ll", from which the air is then exhausted to extinguish the light of the next apparatus, and so on throughout the whole series.

Instead of a; valve, 25, a stop-cock may be employed, so arranged as to lie-opened and closed by the movement of thediaphragm.

Clainw. What 1 claim as my invent-ion, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A mechanism, connceted'with the valve which controls the admission of gas to the burner, and 0perated simultaneously therewith by pneumatic power, for making and breaking the electric cuireuit, and thereby producing sparks for igniting the gas, sul'istantiall y as described.

2. In combination with the air-pipe or pipes, one

or more valves, operated by pneumatic power, and so constructed and arranged as to allow the air to pass successively from one apparatus to another, substantially as described.

3. ihe toothed wheel 0 and the bar 1, with its point r, or their equivalents, when applied to the burner A, for producing sparks during the passage of an electric current to ignite the gas, snbstantiallyas described.

\ 4. The bar N with its wheel 0',.and the bar I with FRANK BEAN. 1 8.]

its poiutr, when so arranged that they can be raised 

